What We Do Best
by AquaTurquoise
Summary: Cedric and Sofia decide to team up for a sorcery competition at her school called 'Spell It Out.'
1. Be Prepared

What We Do Best

Summary: Cedric and Sofia decide to team up for a sorcery competition at her school called 'Spell It Out.'

Disclaimer: I don't own _Sofia the First_!

A/N: Well, I knew this one was coming sooner rather than later. I've always wanted to see Cedric help Sofia out with a competition, so now I can. This _will_ be a bit lengthy of a story, so it's divided into three chapters. It also involves a lot of detail, so this will be a challenge for me during my (happy sigh) summer break! Haha. :D Enjoy!

*Story*

Chapter 1: Be Prepared

"Sofia, are you paying attention?" Cedric asked as he waved his hand in front of his young apprentice, attempting to get the girl to focus.

"Huh?" She blinked as she came around and then smiled in her mentor's direction. "Oh, sorry, Mr. Cedric… I guess I spaced out for a minute there." She glanced down at a piece of parchment in her hands. "I was just thinking…"

"Care to share?" he inquired as he leaned forward on his arms. He was curious as to his student's recent tendency to drift off during their lessons. He had previously wondered if it had something to do with the recent events, but that didn't quite add up. He decided to give her the opportunity to explain for herself.

"Well…" She sighed, handing him the announcement she was holding. "Royal Prep is hosting something called 'Spell It Out.' It's a competition for people who excel at sorcery, and it's basically our school versus—"

"—Hexley Hall," he finished as he read over the information. "I remember hearing something about this a few years ago. Granted, we didn't have this competition when I was in school, but I'm not entirely surprised there would be a competition between the two schools. Rivalry and all that…"

"But Mr. Cedric, even though I _do_ want to enter it, I'm kind of nervous about it." Seeing his look, she shrugged. "Obviously, there are going to be gifted students who have aced sorcery from Hexley Hall, since that's basically what they're _known_ for…and well, what about Grimtrix?"

He frowned. "What about him?"

"He's probably going to be present at the competition. What if he tries to sabotage the whole thing?"

"He wouldn't do that, my dear. Not when there are so many witnesses around." He folded up the announcement and pushed it toward her. "I say don't let that fear keep you from doing what you want to do. If you want to enter the competition, go for it." He gave her a genuine smile, relieved to see her smiling back.

"Thanks, Mr. Cedric…although there's another problem. We're supposed to team up with an outside source for the competition, so I have to find a partner."

Cedric raised an eyebrow at her. Was she seriously contemplating just _who_ would make a good partner for her? "And…you're thinking of a partner then?"

"I had considered asking Aunt Tilly, but she's out of the country right now." She sighed and put her head in her hands before glancing at her friend. "And I would've asked you, but I figured you wouldn't want to be involved in it, since it's my school against your old school."

"Sofia, don't be silly. I'd be honored to team up with you."

She grinned. "Really? You don't mind the circumstances?"

"Why should I? The Hexley Hall _I_ attended was far grander than the current state, as it were. I say, 'Long Live Royal Prep.'" He sat up straighter. "So then, what are the rules and requirements for this thing anyway?"

Sofia unfolded her announcement parchment and flattened it out. "Here you go," she said as she turned it to face him.

 _Rules_

 _There can be no more than two to a group._

 _One must be a current student; the other must be an outside source._

 _No dark magic is allowed._

 _Genies are not permitted to enter due to Lamp Ordinances._

 _No spells with detrimental intentions._

 _Note: No outside help from spell casters such as Merlin is allowed._

 _Requirements_

 _Each team is required to create and utilize two spells intended to aid others, three potions intended to alter appearances and/or cause a change of personality, and design a wand replica (which must be either red, gold, or purple and be standard sized). Wands must be functional according to magic standards._

 _Each checklist item must be demonstrated on the day of the competition, and all must meet regulations._

Cedric massaged his temples after having read the entirety of the announcement. "It's as if they make this competition unnecessarily rigid in its rules," he complained.

"They have to, I guess," Sofia responded with a shrug. "I think it's to keep kids safe and to make everything fair." She smiled pleasantly. "So…do you want to get a head start on our entry? I'll let Ms. Flora know we're entering tomorrow."

"Certainly. When is the competition?"

She smiled sheepishly. "This weekend…"

Cedric gave the girl a deadpanned look. "Today is Wednesday! You expect us to come up with two spells, three potions, and a functional wand in _three days_?"

Sofia giggled. "You're worrying over nothing, Mr. Cedric! We can do this. You're the best sorcerer I know, and _I_ don't give up easily."

He sighed and nodded. "Well, that's most definitely true. Still, I'm afraid a victory is questionable at the moment…"

"It's not about victory, Mr. Cedric. It's about working together and having fun." She smiled. "Even if we don't win, it's not the end of the world. I'm just glad I get to be your partner for once!"

Cedric smiled at the sweet comment from his apprentice. It meant a lot to him that she still thought so highly of him. Then again, it always had. "As am I, Princess." He grabbed his wand from the table and stated, "Let's get started."

The student and mentor studied options for both spells and potions the rest of their session and finally began to decide on the ones that would likely produce a favorable outcome for themselves.

"Starting with the two spells meant to help people," Cedric began as he turned the spell book around to face Sofia, "we could try this one here. What do you think?"

Sofia scanned the page before nodding. "A healing spell," she summarized before smiling at him. "Have you had to use that spell often?"

"Not really, though you'd think with Prince James and his shenanigans, I'd use it quite a bit." He smiled as she giggled. "Why don't you pick the second spell?"

"All right." Sofia returned to the spell book and grabbed a book mark, placing it into the crease to keep her place. She then turned the pages until she came across another promising spell. "What is a Rewind Spell exactly?"

Cedric tapped his fingers against his hand, unsure if he should tell his apprentice about this one. Sure, she'd figure it out eventually, and he expected her to be able to handle and utilize the spell well, but even some of the most experienced and mature magic wielders in the past had abused this one in particular. Still, he knew she'd continue inquiring about it, so he sighed and let her in. "It's something of a do-over spell." Seeing the confused look she had, he gestured lightly with his right hand. "Say you made a mistake that could be problematic for you, and you want to go back in time and undo what's been done. With the Rewind Spell, you can actually do that; however, it's only intended for the previous five minutes. Any occurrence prior to that will not be affected."

She pondered his information before asking softly, "Have you ever used that spell on me, Mr. Cedric? Or during any time related to my amulet?"

Cedric shook his head fervently. "No, Sofia. In fact, I've not used it in several years now. After an incident between Cordelia and myself when we were younger, I decided it would be best to avoid it for the time being." He shifted slightly. "Time is a tricky thing, my dear. Many argue it doesn't even exist, that we as humans made up the concept in order to be able to cope with the passing of the days. Others argue that it is a 'virtue' and that we should be careful not to let it slip by. In reality, time means something different to everyone. Yet even the tiniest detail in the ripple of reality can alter a path someone is on and possibly change things forever."

The princess blinked at him before holding a hand to her head. "That's a lot to take in, Mr. Cedric."

He chuckled. "Indeed. Which is why we should probably look elsewhere for a different spell. I'd rather not mess around with time, because while this spell could in fact be helpful to people, there are those who would misuse it and cause more problems."

"I agree. I'll keep looking." She turned a few more pages before smiling triumphantly. "Ah-ha! How about a Weather Neutralizer spell?"

"Hmm, now _that_ might be useful and doable for this competition." Cedric twirled his wand absentmindedly as he continued, "Sometimes the weather can be a bit of a nuisance or even dangerous. It would be a great help to people if they did have this spell: something that could control nature, as it were… Brilliant, Sofia."

She grinned. "James won't be too happy if you steal his favorite adjective, Mr. Cedric," she joked, making him chuckle. "Okay, now onto the potions!" She read over the requirements for the potions once again. "We need three potions for changing someone's appearance or personality…"

"I recall my professor mentioning a potion several years ago in regards to changing personalities. One sip, and the person in question has a—shall we say—altered state of conscious?"

Sofia blinked. "What?"

Cedric hummed thoughtfully before shrugging. "All right, take yourself for example. In general, you're quite humble, modest, caring, and all around good."

She beamed at his summary of her personality.

"If you were to sip the potion, you would probably be the opposite of that: vain, irresponsible, and careless."

"So…Slickwell?" She giggled as Cedric rolled his eyes. "I understand. Well, I mean, if it's just for the competition and it's not used as something bad, I don't see why not. What's the potion called?"

"Potion 180. Mathematical relations aside, it was quite entertaining to see your father accidentally consume some when we were younger." He started snickering.

Sofia couldn't help laughing a bit. "Wait, so Dad actually drank some? He became, what? Shy?"

"Mm, among other things… Anyway, Potion 180 it is. Now we need to come up with two more potions… Let's focus on physical appearances now."

The princess looked through the potion list and frowned. "I kind of wish there was a potion that would change you into someone you admire."

"Who said there wasn't?"

She looked up at Cedric with wide eyes. "Are you serious? And I'm just hearing about it _now_?" She leaned forward excitedly. "What's it called?"

"'When You Wish Upon a Potion,' ironically enough… Or WYW for short." He turned the book around so he could find the necessary information and then pushed the book back in her direction. "When one drinks this particular potion, he or she can become whomever is requested via a wish. For example, say I were to drink the potion. Immediately afterward, I'd say, perhaps, 'I wish I were Merlin.' Then poof! I'd have the outward appearance of Merlin. Of course, I could never physically _be_ the man himself, because there can only exist one of every person in the world, so this is sort of like replicating someone… Understand?"

"…Magic is complicated sometimes, isn't it?" She giggled.

"You've no idea… Okay, WYW is our second one."

"You don't think my amulet would counteract with these potions and spells, do you?" Sofia suddenly wondered as she held onto her gem.

"Oh, I hadn't considered that… Well, I suppose we could try during our trial and error phase. If for some reason your amulet negates the spells and potions, I will be the one to take over and demonstrate. Fair enough?"

Sofia nodded. "Yeah… Hey, can our last potion be an aging potion?"

"Certainly. I have at least three of those… It could be rather interesting to see the outcome of that. And I suggest that we use the Fountain Potion."

"What's that?"

"You've heard of the oft-spoken Fountain of Youth, correct?" Seeing her nod, he shrugged. "Well, some of us sorcerers ages ago got together and created something of a mock potion for youthful appearance. It's only temporary, of course, but it will get the job done. Therefore, it's simply named the Fountain Potion based on its intent."

"Great. Since I have only so far I can go back, if I do end up demonstrating, hopefully it won't go too far." She laughed.

"Right," he agreed with a small laugh. "All right, then. We're settled on those. Now it's time to see to this magical wand business. I can design a wand with little trouble; however, we'll need to look into the magical insertion. First: what color should it be?"

Sofia gave her mentor a sarcastic look.

"Purple it is then," he chuckled. "Each wand should be between nine and fourteen inches, so I say let's go with a standard foot." Seeing her nod, he conjured up a wand with his own and a few muttered phrases that the girl didn't quite make out. The empty vessel lay between the friends, waiting for its purpose.

"So what now?" she asked curiously.

"We'll need to put some magic into it somehow, but I'm generally not very good at such a thing… Perhaps we should seek out my father…or Merlin himself."

Sofia smiled as she picked up the wand. "Or maybe there's a spell that—whoa!" She gasped as her amulet reacted, the pink jewel reflecting an undetermined source of light and reacting with the wand vessel. Before long, the amulet settled and relaxed against her dress again as the wand shimmered with sparkling magic coursing from its source. "…What just happened?"

Cedric stared at the wand in awe before looking toward the girl. "I don't believe I'm wrong in saying that you may very well be a 'magical princess' after all, Sofia…"

She gazed at the wand in question before laughing lightly and smiling at her mentor. "It's only every little girl's dream, and now…now, I guess I finally get to live that dream." She lifted the wand slightly. "Should we test it?"

"Go ahead. Try a simple spell. _Bounciglius_ , perhaps?"

She nodded and aimed the wand at a random book lying on his floor. " _Bounciglius_!" She grinned as the book responded and bounced several times around the room before obeying her command to stop. "Wow, this is so neat! We made our own wand, Mr. Cedric!"

"Yes, I suppose it's fair to say that it's our first official collaboration. Well, that resulted in a physical object, anyway." He stood to his feet and stretched momentarily before looking back toward the girl. "I believe it's close to dinnertime, my dear. We can reconvene tomorrow and begin creating those potions and gathering necessary information for the spells."

"Okay. Here, will you keep this somewhere safe? I really don't want anything to happen to it." She handed him the wand.

"Absolutely. I have just the place for it." He walked over and lifted the case she's made him a few Wassailias ago and nestled it beside his family wand before turning back to her. "Till tomorrow then?"

Sofia nodded and gave him a hug. "Good night, Mr. Cedric." She turned and left the tower in high spirits.

Cedric turned back to the wand in question and observed it curiously. Sofia's amulet was indeed more powerful than he'd imagined…if it could do something like that. He'd relinquished his objective of taking over the kingdom and using her amulet, but that didn't mean others had. And the fact that they would be up against others from Hexley Hall, led by none other than Grimtrix, did worry him. He hadn't wanted to admit such a thing to Sofia, because the last thing he'd wanted to do was worry _her_. Still, he made a vow to protect her and her amulet, and hopefully this competition was indeed just that: a competition.

Meanwhile, a low and impressed chuckle echoed in a dark room. The Enchancian sorcerer's face hovered midair in a hologram. "That's right, Cedric," the voice taunted in amusement, "just keep the princess busy and happy. Soon enough, I'll harvest her power _and_ yours and teach you _both_ a thing or two…so be prepared."

To be continued….

List of chapters:

Chapter 1: Be Prepared

Chapter 2: Spell It Out

Chapter 3: What We Do Best


	2. Spell It Out

What We Do Best

Summary: Cedric and Sofia decide to team up for a sorcery competition at her school called 'Spell It Out.'

Disclaimer: I don't own _Sofia the First_!

A/N: Hope you all enjoyed the first chapter. This time you'll get to see just who the mysterious guy was at the end of the last chapter. All I can say is, it's not who you probably think it is. Lol. Anyway, I'm going to attempt to honor a few requests/suggestions in this chapter, so keep an eye out for those. ;) Enjoy!

*Story*

Chapter 2: Spell It Out

Thursday morning proved to be quite stormy. Lightning had already struck a few trees, frying them from the roots and causing them to collapse. Luckily, none had been near the castle. However, the gloomy atmosphere didn't hinder the two friends from their quest.

"You've eaten already?" Cedric asked Sofia as she entered his workshop.

"Oh, uh… Not yet." She smiled sheepishly before blinking as he handed her a small tray of goldenberry pancakes, a strawberry muffin, and a glass of boysenberry juice. She looked up at her mentor with a look of surprise before smiling appreciatively. "Thanks, Mr. Cedric."

He nodded before gesturing toward a small table with two chairs he'd evidently set up, a flickering candle perched in the middle due to the darkness the current storm had provided. In fact, he had quite a few candles burning in the workshop right now.

They sat together and began eating their breakfast while listening to the crashing thunder and pouring rain outside.

"What lovely weather," Cedric remarked sardonically as he broke his muffin in half.

Sofia laughed. "I'm sure the frogs are enjoying it anyway." She glanced toward the other side of the workshop and caught Wormwood's attention. "Have you eaten yet, Wormwood?"

"I'm not fond of muffins, Princess, though I do appreciate the thought," the raven replied with a yawn. "I ate a few berries earlier. Cedric, if you don't mind, I think I'm going to sleep off this bad weather in your room." With that, he flew off toward the sorcerer's bedroom.

"Is he not feeling well?"

Cedric shrugged. "Stormy weather makes him sleepy, and being cooped up in this tower during said weather makes him a bit irritable."

"More than usual?" the princess joked with a giggle, making him chuckle in response.

"Unbelievably so. Therefore, I believe it's best if we just leave him to his rest."

After breakfast had been cleared away, the friends returned to their previous work. Sofia penned the two necessary spells into a vacant journal, including proper pronunciations and reminders for each one. Meanwhile, Cedric worked to create each of the potions…

"A drop of morning dew," he murmured as he mixed the potion. "Three unicorn hairs, two pumpkin seeds, a dash of fairy dust, a hint of sugar…and voila! The WYW Potion is complete." He smiled proudly as he held up a vial of sparkling purple liquid.

"Great! Just one question…" Sofia gave him an inquiring look. "Where did you get fairy dust from anyway?"

"Oh, it's a long story… Something about an ambitious pirate fairy long ago… In any case, a few bottles made their way to the last convention I attended, so I happened to pick some up." He shrugged. "Of course, there's always the supplemental Fliegel Magic."

"Oh, I'm sure Grotta would _love_ that." She laughed. "So that is the wishing-to-be-someone-else potion. It works?"

"Of course it works. We just need only test a tiny bit though, because we don't want to use it all up before demonstration." He grabbed a pipette and dipped it into the liquid, squeezing just enough for a small amount to be absorbed into it. "Here, give it a go and see for yourself."

Sofia took the pipette and held it up. "So just…drink it?" Seeing him nod, she did as she was told. And then… "I wish I were… Princess Belle!" In a single spark, the young auburn-haired girl transformed into the brown-haired princess she admired so much. "Ah-mazing!" she squealed, though not in her own voice—in Belle's. That made her more excited. "Mr. Cedric, this is the best potion ever! Do you have any idea how much fun this is going to be?"

He laughed. "All right, calm down. I know you're excited. Now, to change back, simply wish to be yourself again."

"Oh, wait, there's something I've always wanted to do…" She reached forward and hugged him, surprising him.

"Sofia?"

She giggled and backed away. "It's so different hugging you from this height. I can see your ears now!"

The sorcerer gave his student a curious look before chuckling. "Cute. Really cute. Now go on: we still have two other potions to work on."

"Oh, fine. I wish I were Princess Sofia again." With that, she changed back to her normal self. "I like that potion. Can you make that for my Wassailia gift this year please?" She smiled cutely.

"Er, maybe when you're a bit older… Anyway, on to Potion 180." He extracted several items from his cabinet and placed them all on the table. Each container was neatly labeled, and some of those labels were interesting to read.

Sofia tilted her head as she examined the items. "Vex vine, wildflower extract, seagull feathers, tree sap… Mr. Cedric, are you sure about this potion?"

He nodded as he began mixing several ingredients together. "Worry not, Sofia. I've made this potion on several occasions. When my schoolmates and I attended Hexley Hall, this was one we enjoyed creating. We liked to slip it to our teachers every now and again…" He snickered. "One time, a few of my classmates fooled Madame Irena into drinking it before class, and the rather retched and crabby old woman we were used to turned into the kindest and most doting professor we'd ever had. We even got cookies out of it."

"You sorcerers sure do like to play tricks on people, don't you?" The chiding was playful, so he didn't see any reason to become defensive.

"In truth, sometimes. Madame Irena was just one of those people who needed Potion 180. Trust me. Anyway, if it turns light pink, we'll know it works. I'd rather not try it on you now, because I've seen your angry side, and I don't care to see it again any time soon."

Sofia smiled sheepishly. Oh, he'd seen her angry side, all right. Finding out your best friend was actually trying to steal from you and cause trouble for your kingdom kind of did that to people. Still, she managed to see the humor in his remarks. "That's right. Don't make Scary Sofia come back."

The potion did in fact turn light pink, so Cedric wrote something down in their journal before setting it aside with the WYW Potion. "Okay, final potion: Fountain Potion."

"I'm excited about this one! Aging potions have always been interesting to me."

"Admittedly, I find them fascinating myself. It interests me the science behind it all." With that said, he began mixing the final potion. "I suppose youth is something we all miss sometimes…and those who still have it don't realize how lucky they are."

Sofia leaned against the table as he worked and slowly kicked her feet back and forth. "Do you miss being a child?"

"Every now and again. Some of my best memories were when I was around your age—being young and free, not having to worry about much. But when I realized my spells were never that strong in comparison with my classmates, I suppose I became frustrated and turned to trying to prove them wrong. Agitation and disappointment really mess with your mind, Sofia." He crushed a lily blossom into his mortar as she watched.

"I guess anyone would feel that way," she said softly as she observed his motions.

Sensing the change in atmosphere, he smiled, trying to get her to cheer up. "Regardless, yes, I do miss being a child sometimes. However, being older does have its advantages."

"Yeah, like being taller," the girl laughed.

"You'll get there. Just be patient." He mixed all of the current ingredients together and formed a new potion: a blue one this time. "It's ready. One sip sets a person back five years. Two is ten. Three is fifteen…so essentially increments of five."

The princess grinned. "I guess I'd better be careful then if I test it. I don't know if it's possible to be half of zero years old."

Cedric rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Silly girl. All right, I believe these are finished." He placed the potions into a basket lined with purple fabric. "Three potions, two spells that you wrote down, and now…let's have a look at that wand." He walked over and picked up their wand before sitting next to his apprentice again so they could observe it together. "The outward appearance was easy enough, but typically magic insertion is a multi-process job. However, your amulet seemed to have other plans."

"It's been doing some weird things lately," she admitted as she glanced down at the jewel in her hands. "You've seen it yourself. Whatever magic it had when Princess Elena was trapped is still there, and it seems to be acting differently than it did when she was inside of it. I don't really know how to explain it."

"One of these days, we're going to do some further research on it. There were several notes at the Hexley Hall library, but with Grimtrix hanging about, we didn't get all the information we needed."

Sofia smiled. "It's fine, Mr. Cedric. We'll get around to it, I think. In the meantime, I'm curious to see what this wand can do!" She held it up once more. "It handled the bouncing spell yesterday. I wonder if it can do something more." She glanced toward his bookshelf and walked over, pulling one of the books out and setting it on the table. "What was that enlarging spell again?"

" _Presto gigantica,_ " he replied.

" _Presto gigantica,_ " she echoed as she aimed the wand at the book, smiling in delight as it grew. "Awesome! And to shrink—oh, I remember. _Gigantus shrinky-dinkus._ " She giggled at the silly-sounding spell before beaming at her mentor when the book returned to normal size. "That was so neat."

"Don't you mean 'ah-mazing?'" he teased, making her smile.

"Yeah. Whatever this new form of magic is, it seems to be more powerful than I realized… Maybe this will help us out in the competition on Saturday."

"Maybe, but Sofia, listen… I want you to be careful." He settled one hand on her own to make sure she was paying attention. "Magic is a rather uncertain thing sometimes, and it can even be dangerous. I won't have you getting hurt because of some school competition, so if you feel as though something is wrong or if there's something you believe you can't handle, you need to let me know immediately, all right?"

The girl nodded and settled her other hand over his own. "I promise."

"How touching," the disembodied voice spat as the shadowy figure continued observing the friends in the hologram image. "Leave it to good old Cedric to be so protective over the precious little princess. I suppose Grimtrix was right. I'll have to watch out for her." He stood and walked into the light, finally revealing a tall figure dressed in dark slacks and a dark robe to match. A golden amulet of his own dangled around his neck. The black hood draped over his head hid his visage from the world, though every now and then, the light from the flickering candles illuminated small glimpses of the striking green eyes that lay beneath. "Only a matter of time, Cedric."

A few days later, the storm had mostly cleared, though the skies were still overcast and questionable at best. Cedric and Sofia, now dressed in her apprentice robes of course, registered early for the Spell It Out competition and spent the rest of their time setting up.

Cedric observed the students and their 'outside sources' as they passed by. Only Sofia had signed up for the Royal Prep side. Several students he didn't recognize—though obviously from Hexley Hall—were already showing off their spells for practice.

"Sofia!"

Sofia turned at the call of her name and smiled happily when Amber ran over and hugged her. "Amber! James! You guys made it."

"We wouldn't miss this," James declared as he grinned. "Mom and Dad are already seated in the stands."

"But it doesn't start for another hour," Cedric informed them as he frowned.

"Well, they naturally wanted the best seats in this place," Amber stated proudly. "I mean, come on! Our sole Royal Prep student going up against the sorcerer wannabes from Hexley Hall? No offense, Cedric."

He rolled his eyes discretely before folding his arms.

"We'll be cheering you guys on," James said before grabbing his twin's hand. "Good luck, Sof!" With that, they took off.

"Cedric!"

Cedric had expected everyone from Grimtrix to Greylock to show up, but he was surprised to see a trio of some of his former classmates before him. "Beatrice? Draegan? Wesley?" He looked behind them to see individual students following them. "What on earth are you doing here?"

"We're here for the competition as well," Wesley responded. He seemed a bit older than Cedric though not by much. He had his curly black hair loose about his shoulders while his soft brown eyes turned to his charge. "This is my partner and cousin, Jasper." He indicated the rather small boy with blonde hair beside him. "It's his first magic contest."

"I see…" Cedric then glanced toward the other man in the group. "Draegan? I thought you'd moved to Rudistan?"

"I moved back two years ago," the other sorcerer replied as he pushed his long tumble of ponytailed blonde hair behind his back. He adjusted a cloth tied around both of his eyes.

"And you are still having vision problems, I see."

"It won't be long until I'm completely blind, I'm afraid…" He smiled thoughtfully as he sensed the pity from those around him. "Not to worry though. When one sense leaves, the others become stronger. Plus I have confidence that my partner, Gilbert, will lead the way."

Sofia looked toward a young boy who appeared to be about twelve or so. He had soft raven-colored hair and light blue eyes. He seemed a bit antsy and constantly tugged on his own robes. "Poor guy," she murmured to herself. "He's probably nervous."

"And Beatrice, you're looking well," Cedric continued as he turned to his red-haired former classmate.

Blue eyes sparkled as the redhead laughed raucously, causing the guys to wince. Yeah, that laugh they didn't miss at all. "Cedric, you know how to charm a girl! But ease up. I'm a married sorceress now."

"But I wasn't…" Cedric glanced toward Wesley, who rolled his eyes. Beatrice had always been a bit vain, so none of this was necessarily surprising. "My apologies, I suppose?"

"Nonsense! Anyway, this is my daughter Eugenie. She's top in her class!"

Eugenie had the same red hair her mother did, yet hers was braided down her back. She also had brown eyes instead of blue. "I'm only third in my class, Mommy," she reminded the woman, who shot her a look. "But…I take great pride in it."

Sofia almost felt sorry for the girl. It was as if that sentence had been instilled in her or something.

"Well, this is my apprentice, Princess Sofia." Cedric placed one hand on Sofia's shoulder, a seemingly comforting gesture to the girl. "She invited me to join this competition as her partner."

"I've heard of you," Gilbert announced at last, his voice slightly raspy for some reason. "You're the princess who stopped Elliot, Amy, and Kurt from destroying Royal Prep, aren't you?"

Sofia smiled thoughtfully. "Well, I had a lot of help from my friends and Mr. Cedric."

"Oh, yeah," Eugenie added, "she's always helping others too."

"And she's pretty," Jasper, the smallest of the group, added before blushing in embarrassment and hiding behind Wesley.

Sofia giggled modestly. "Thanks, Jasper… Um, Mr. Cedric, I'm going to get back to work. You can catch up with your friends. It was nice to meet you all!" She curtsied lightly before returning to her chore.

"Actually, I'd better help her," Cedric said, really not wanting to converse with people…especially those he didn't used to speak with on a regular basis (and certainly not wanting to start now). "May the best partners win."

"Oh, don't worry," Beatrice cackled. "We will!"

The group dispersed and Cedric returned to his apprentice. While everyone else had begun to get ready, Gilbert had dragged Draegan aside into a tent.

"What is it?" Draegan asked in slight annoyance as he untied the cloth around his eyes and glared at the young boy. Turned out he could see just fine! "It's bad enough you've roped me into this charade; do you also have to literally push me around?"

"It's the only way anything gets done around here," Gilbert snapped before drinking a potion and changing…into Grimtrix. "I told you the little princess would somehow pull her sorcerer into this competition. It's like they can't resist!"

"I think you're a little obsessed with this girl and with Cedric." The blonde rolled his eyes. "Don't you have thousands of other sorcerers you could corrupt?"

"Yes, of course, but they're nowhere near as fun!" He smirked.

"Grimtrix, your plan to exact revenge against Cedric and his little princess friend is rather sophomoric. I can understand the allure of power, but there's a right way and a wrong way to go about these things."

"Oh, really?" the older sorcerer demanded. "And what is the 'right' way, Draegan?"

The younger sorcerer smirked and wielded a wand. " _My_ way."

"Oh, you really think you can handle the two of them, eh? By all means, be my guest. You were a bright student of mine during your days at Hexley Hall, but you always let the idea of power consume your thoughts too much. It was _always_ your way or no way at all. Don't be stupid, Draegan. Those two may not look like much, but they are far stronger than they appear."

"I know," Draegan said with a small sneer. "I hear they both defeated you pretty quickly a while ago." He chuckled as a growl escaped the older man's mouth. "You wouldn't be here if it weren't for me. You'd still be captured. Be grateful, why don't you? And let me handle the princess and Cedric. If nothing else, I could use a challenge for once." With that, he tossed some de-aging potion onto Grimtrix, causing him to take on the appearance of 'Gilbert' again. The blonde retied the cloth around his eyes and prepared to put his plan into motion.

The competition began less than an hour later. Each group of participants (totaling at 30, with 15 partners) had three teachers to judge them based on how they did for their potions, spells, and wand work. The trio of teachers made their way down the line and instructed each pair to demonstrate. The onlookers in the stands also got quite the show as magic of all sorts permeated through the air.

Cedric and Sofia were next to last, right before Draegan and Grimtrix. They didn't appear to be worried at all.

"We can do this," Sofia enthused as she adjusted her purple hat on her head.

Cedric chuckled as he helped her fix her hat until she nodded in satisfaction. "That we can."

"Hello, participants," an older gentleman greeted the duo as he and his colleagues approached. "Thank you for showing interest in our competition. May we hear your two spells please?"

Sofia nodded as she wielded her normal wand. "Our first spell is the Healing Spell. For example, sir, I see you have a wound on your hand. May I?"

The lead sorcerer nodded as he held out his hand.

" _Sana vulnus_." She uttered the words with such strength that she surprised the trio. She smiled happily when the wound on the man's skin vanished.

"Incredible," he said, pleased, with a toothy grin. "You know your spells, little one. Does your partner have a spell?"

"Indeed I do," Cedric responded as he held up his own wand. "The Weather Neutralizer Spell."

"Oh, perfect for a gloomy day like today," the woman of the group acknowledged. "Carry on then."

Cedric nodded and glanced toward the sky, which was thickening with dense and dark clouds ready to burst with rain at any moment. " _Corrumpebant nubibus_!" He smiled triumphantly as the clouds began to shift and even out, the previous darkness fading into a more natural color instead.

"Excellent work," the third member of the group encouraged with a nod. "You have both succeeded with your spells. Now let us see what you have prepared for your potions. I take it they are also just as grand."

"We think so," Sofia responded sweetly. "Mr. Cedric, let's start with the Fountain Potion," she whispered to her mentor.

"If you say so." Seeing the hesitant look her face, he smiled gently. "I'll do it."

She grinned. "Thank you." She held up the blue liquid to the judges and to the crowd behind them. "This is the Fountain Potion: a de-aging potion that reverts you to a more youthful state, based on how many times you sip it. Mr. Cedric is going to demonstrate." She handed him the potion.

"One sip equates negative five years," he explained to all in earshot. "Therefore, to prove my point, I suppose two sips, an equivalent of ten years lost, will suffice."

"That's what you think," Gilbert muttered with a smirk as he sneaked behind the sorcerer in question.

Cedric held the potion to his lips and swallowed twice, prepared to stop, but he instantly felt the grab of some magical energy that forced him to drink the entire bottle. "Oh, no," he whispered in shock as the vial fell from his hands, shattering as it hit a rock.

Sofia gasped as Cedric reverted to his child form, clearly closer to her own age now. "Mr. Cedric?"

"Oh, my," the female judge speculated as she observed them. "Well, the potion definitely works, it seems."

"Indeed it does…"

Sofia and Cedric turned as they heard Draegan's voice, a more sinister tone to it than they'd expected.

"And now that you are _both_ children, this will be a piece of cake." He ripped off the cloth binding and gave the friends a piercing glare with his startling green eyes.

"M-Mr. Cedric," Sofia stuttered as she hid behind the child form of her mentor. "What's going on?"

"I _knew_ something wasn't quite right with him," he whispered to her. "I always had a bad feeling about him."

"Seriously?" Sofia whined in frustration. "What is the deal with all of these evil sorcerers all of a sudden?!"

"Sofia!" Roland called from the stand. "Stay there! We're coming to get you!"

"Not likely," Gilbert sneered as he froze the family, the contestants, and the judges. All that were left unfrozen were Cedric, Sofia, himself, and Draegan. "Now then, Princess Sofia, hand over the amulet."

"What? No! Who are you really?"

The wicked sorcerer reversed his own state and returned to his normal self.

The girl frowned. "Grimtrix! We should have known!"

"Yes, you should have," Draegan added as he advanced the children. "You're quite the challenge, little one. I've heard tales of the endearing Sofia of Enchancia, the girl with the heart of gold who sees the best in everyone. Tell me, is it true that you saved Cedric here from being banished from the kingdom after _he_ tried to cause harm to you and your family?"

"That's none of your business! Ahh!" She gasped when the blonde man grasped her arm and yanked her toward him. "Mr. Cedric, help!"

Little Cedric stepped forward and glared at his former classmate before wielding the new wand he and Sofia had created. "Unhand her, Draegan! Don't make me 'disappearo' you!"

"Oh, you'd really try that when I have your little princess captured?" He smirked. "Bring it on, pipsqueak!"

"I am _not_ a pipsqueak!" the boy argued before accidentally blasting a bit of magic straight past his apprentice, knocking a limb from a tree. "Oops."

"Priorities, Mr. Cedric, please!" The auburn-haired girl whimpered as the man tightened his grip on her. "Let me go!"

"Not likely," Grimtrix cackled as he held his own wand toward her. "Cedric, you make your choice. You can either drop your wand and save the princess, or you can take a chance and risk harming her. But just keep this in mind: if you activate your wand, so shall I. It's your call."

Cedric considered his options before sighing as his brown eyes caught sight of Sofia's worried blue ones. He dropped the wand to the ground.

"Mr. Cedric…"

"I won't let them harm you, Sofia," he told her gently. "I promised you. And sometimes, when you make a promise, you just have to remember to _lower your head_ and prepare for what lies ahead." He gave her a meaningful look, which she seemed to latch onto before literally lowering her head. Cedric grabbed the Potion 180 from the table behind him, uncapped it, and tossed it onto both of the corrupt sorcerers.

While the men were preoccupied with trying to wipe the light pink liquid out of their eyes, Cedric grabbed Sofia and pulled her along, ducking under the tables and scurrying along to hide.

"That personality reversal potion won't last very long, seeing as one dose usually lasts five minutes for one person," Cedric explained to her as they caught their breath. "We have maybe two minutes to come up with a plan."

"I say we fight back," Sofia urged as she grabbed his hands. "We're much smarter than they are, Mr. Cedric."

"But we're so much smaller than they are," he complained with a defeated sigh.

"So what? I'm this size all the time, and you always believed in my ability to do something. Just because you're the child version of yourself doesn't mean you can't do anything you set your mind to. Believe in yourself, because I believe in you!"

The boy considered this before smiling and hugging her, surprising the girl. "I know what to do," he whispered as he sneaked back to their original location and crawled out from under the table.

"Oh, what a lovely sky!" Draegan enthused airily as he stared upward. "I thought it was supposed to rain today!"

Grimtrix smiled cluelessly as he, too, stared at the sky. "The miracles of nature, my friend."

Cedric snickered before grabbing the wand he'd previously discarded and crawling back toward Sofia hurriedly. "I got it."

"Great!" She paused. "Now what?"

"Now you hand it over."

The children turned to see that their table had been overturned and Grimtrix was glaring daggers at both of them.

"I expected this of the princess, Cedric, but not you… You used to be so good at following the rules and doing all the wrong things when you were told to do so. So why is it that you suddenly take issue with being _bad_?"

Sofia jumped up and stood in front of her friend. "Maybe because he's a _good_ sorcerer," she responded for him. "And a good sorcerer thinks for himself and helps out his friends and family, and he takes responsibility for any mistakes he's made and learns from them."

Cedric smiled lightly as he listened to her.

"A _good_ sorcerer cares about people and wants to make the world a better place. But Mr. Cedric isn't a _good_ sorcerer. He's a _sensational_ one. You, Grimtrix, are just a bitter old man with a serious complex. You need to get a grip and a life while you're at it."

"Why, you little brat!" He aimed his wand at the young girl. "This is the last time you'll interfere, Princess."

Cedric's eyes widened. "Sofia!"

To be continued…


	3. What We Do Best

What We Do Best

Summary: Cedric and Sofia decide to team up for a sorcery competition at her school called 'Spell It Out.'

Disclaimer: I don't own _Sofia the First_!

A/N: So here is the last chapter for this story. Sorry for the cliffhanger last chapter, but I felt it warranted it…besides, chapter two was quite long! Lol. Anyway, again, I'm trying to honor a few hints and suggestions, so I hope I managed them well. Enjoy, and look for my next story soon (maybe not today, but soon)! Also, yes, this chapter is shorter, and _yes_ , the ending is extra cheesy, but I figured for the closing content and considering it's _AquaTurquoise_ who's writing this, it's not the least bit surprising. :p Hope you've enjoyed it either way! :D

*Story*

Chapter 3: What We Do Best

" _Why, you little brat!" He aimed his wand at the young girl. "This is the last time you'll interfere, Princess."_

 _Cedric's eyes widened. "Sofia!"_

Sofia instinctively lifted her arms to her eyes, trying to guard herself from whatever attack may be coming her way. She heard Grimtrix growl out a command and braced herself.

"Sofia, look out!"

The girl yelped as she felt herself knocked to the ground just as a blast of magic zoomed past her. She glanced up to realize the younger version of Cedric was hugging her, as if keeping her from harm. "Mr. Cedric…"

"Don't worry," he panted as he released her and moved in front of her, still shielding her. "I'll protect you."

"Isn't that sweet?" Draegan cooed sarcastically. "Dear old Cedric, trying to make himself useful for once; too bad it'll all be in vain by the time we're done with the both of you."

"You leave her alone, Draegan. I won't allow you to harm the princess."

"Such brave words from such a _puny_ sorcerer," Grimtrix sneered as he re-aimed his wand toward both of the friends. "I'm going to enjoy eliminating you both. Two fewer problems to worry about in my quest."

Sofia gripped Cedric's robe tightly and whispered, "What can we do?"

Grimtrix and Draegan both cornered the friends from either side, their wands aimed directly at them.

"I…I don't know," Cedric admitted regretfully. "I'm so sorry, Sofia…sorry that I can't save you."

Blue eyes widened as both of the older sorcerers called out a simultaneous spell, their wands powering up. She gasped when she felt Cedric's arms wrapping around her as if to comfort her one more time…to defend her from the unavoidable ending they were likely to endure together.

Just as the last word left Draegan's and Grimtrix's lips, a bright pink light illuminated the area, its source—Sofia's amulet—shining with purpose. A type of shield had formed around the children and encased them inside, keeping them from being blasted by the sorcerers' magic.

"Seriously?!" Draegan huffed. "Not only must we deal with typical sorcery, but now we have a 'magical princess' on our hands?" He glared at Grimtrix. "You didn't tell me about this!"

"I thought it fairly obvious! _Everyone_ knows about the Amulet of Avalor, you fool!"

Sofia separated from Cedric and clasped her hands over her amulet, releasing the shield from around them. She looked toward her mentor meaningfully and smiled when he grabbed their previously constructed wand and gave her a confident smirk. She glanced back toward the bickering sorcerers. "You know what works better than arguing with each other?" she asked them, ceasing their tirades.

"What might that be, little princess?" Draegan mocked.

"Teamwork." She smiled triumphantly as Cedric aimed the wand at them both.

"No!" the men yelled together.

" _Magus captis_!" Cedric announced, a cage falling from the sky and capturing the troublesome two. He smiled proudly as the captives yelled in anguish. He then turned his attention toward the frozen crowd and murmured an anti-freeze spell. He sighed in relief as everyone slowly began to regain consciousness.

"That was great, Mr. Cedric!" Sofia exclaimed gratefully as she threw her arms around him, hugging him once again.

Cedric chuckled and returned her hug before gasping in realization. "Sofia, we aren't finished with the competition yet…and I'm still a _child_!"

She giggled. "I know. I kind of like having a mentor my own size."

The pint-sized sorcerer pouted and folded his arms. "Sofia…"

"I know, I know. We'll take care of everything. But what about those two?" she asked as she indicated the captives.

"Leave them to me," Cedric told her with a grin and a flick of the wand.

After sending the two trouble makers away, the competition resumed almost as if there had never been any interference. Sofia demonstrated the WYW Potion as Belle, and Cedric showed off the abilities of their wand. The judges seemed rather impressed before moving on to the next partners. When all was said and done, Cedric and Sofia…did _not_ win the competition, but they did place second.

"Second place," Sofia pondered. "Well, there's nothing wrong with being second best, right?" She smiled toward her friend.

"I suppose not… At least our efforts were recognized."

"Cedric, Sofia!" Miranda greeted as she and the other members of the royal family approached. "Nice job, you two!"

"But why are you still a child, Cedric?" Amber asked with a lifted eyebrow.

The youthful sorcerer sighed heavily. "A potion gone wrong, Princess Amber…"

Sofia grinned playfully. "He's decided to stay this way for a few days."

Cedric gave his apprentice a pointed look. "He most certainly has _not_. I'll begin conducting an aging potion when we return to the castle again. It simply won't do for me to be unable to _reach_ most things in my workshop, after all." He gave the girl a mischievous look. "Meanwhile, for the time being, you and I are going to do what we do best."

"What's that?" she asked with a smile as he gently placed one hand on her shoulder.

"Make the most of the magical situation." He grinned and tapped her unexpectedly on her arm. "Tag, you're it! Run, Princess Amber and Prince James!"

"Run—ah?!" Amber squealed as James grabbed her hand and dragged her off, hurrying to follow after Cedric.

Sofia gaped in surprise as the three laughing children ran off from her. She then smiled excitedly and took off after them. "Wait up, you guys!"

Roland chuckled as Miranda smiled after them. "Sofia really does bring out the best in Cedric, doesn't she?" he asked his wife.

"Yes, Rollie…but I think it's fair to say that it works both ways, too. Cedric, in his own way, often brings out the best in Sofia. And that, I think, is what they _really_ do best."

He smiled and wrapped an arm around her shoulders as they maneuvered along.

The end

[PS: Don't worry. Cedric returned to normal later that evening…after about seven rounds of tag, of course. ;) Thanks for reading! As just a bit of a heads up, the next story will be a bit more…somber, so be prepared. Till next time! AquaTurquoise]


End file.
